Batgirl #38Review

Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher and Babs Tarr have transformed Batgirl in more ways than one since their debut on the title. Not only is the book now much lighter in tone than what it once was, but Batgirl herself has seen quite the attitude adjustment as well. Even with these changes, it’s clear that the creative team remembers the tragic roots of this character and her previously gloomy state of mind. And with the newest issue it seems that they are intent on using her upswing in disposition to create an unexpected source of drama for the character. While an overused trope and a telegraphed plot element take away from this issue a bit, the overall advances in the story make for a satisfying issue.

Barbara Gordon has had enough of being so serious, and for the last few issues she’s been painting the town red both in her personal life and as a hero. The first few issues of this new run have seen the introduction of many elements added into Batgirl’s world such as social media, smartphones, new friends, new crushes, and more. While all of these elements have been used to cultivate the new lighthearted tone fueling this book, it’s also had some unexpected negative consequences for Barbara as well.

While she’s made a handful of valuable new friendships, one her oldest friendships with Black Canary has been weakened and perhaps destroyed because of her new life. As Batgirl, while she’s taken to fully assert herself as the protector of Burnside and as a hero in general, she’s taken center stage in a spotlight that’s far too big for any bat-themed hero. This issue interestingly gives us the sense that all of these changes seem to building up to a confrontation, both personal and otherwise, as she’s going to have to learn to balance what she’s gained with what she’s lost.

Of course, this isn’t the only thing that’s been building over the last few issues, and issue #38 takes a large step forward in getting readers closer to what’s been going on. Batgirl has faced a slew of villains all seemingly connected to one another, and even stranger, to Batgirl herself. In all honesty, Batgirl hasn’t been trying too terribly hard to get to the bottom of things, but gets her biggest lead in this issue. Barbara’s new love interest gets an impossible phone call which is a bit creepy in it of itself, and it will undoubtedly lead Batgirl’s investigation in the issue’s to come.

The fallout of this reveal is quite devastating for our hero though as she’s the latest victim of extreme privacy invasion and a kind of identity theft that’s multiplied by the power of science fiction and comic book supervillainy. Worst of all, Barbara herself has made this whole attack against her possible in the first place. The creative team built this reveal up successfully throughout the last few issues as the various villains have provided only fragmented windows into who has been pulling their strings. While the orchestrator of these attacks hasn’t been revealed yet, we now know how he or she has been doing it, and it’s pleasantly original.

That said, the reveal at the end would have been much more mysterious and probably terrifying had it not been explained how it was done earlier in the issue. Barbara herself gives it all away early on, and while the device still works on a storytelling level, most readers won’t be terribly surprised by the ending. While it’s true that we aren’t left with the “who” we are left with the “how” at this point. This, unfortunately, takes away from the tension that could have filled the final pages of this issue. Still, fans should be pleased with the plot progression seen here.

The other issue here involves Barbara’s new love interest who comes off as a bit of a cliche. While he’s into Barabara, he hates Batgirl and vigilantism in general. We’ve seen this before time and again in comics. Whether it’s a love interest or a family member who hates our main character’s superheroic identity. Other than that, the character is fine enough plus his relationship with Barbara does lead to the plot advancement mentioned above.

Tarr continues to satisfy with her artistic take on our hero and her new world. Benefiting, no doubt, from the breakdowns provided by Stewart. She excels in both the design of the characters featured in this story and in her acting ability. The kind of glamorous/punk rock style continues to benefit the story being told as it truly helps to solidify the new tone that the storytelling are trying to achieve. Stewart’s breakdowns continue to flow quite well keeping the action flowing quickly and effectively.

The Verdict

The new Batgirl run by Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher continues to grow into its own in entertaining ways. The story that has been building since the new team’s debut issue is clearly seeing some forward momentum here. This leads to interesting consequences for our hero on both a personal and heroic level and the final page reveal will definitely lead Batgirl forward on her mission in the issues to come. Artist Babs Tarr continues to please with her unique style perfectly fit for this new take on our hero.

Mike Logsdon is a master of Kung Fu and of reading comics. Find out which one of those things is actually true by following him on Twitter and IGN!

Great

Batgirl #38 sees the story heating up as Batgirl learns she's the victim of supervillain-ized identity theft.